Three new members were welcomed into the Gran Orden de Caballeros de Vino at the 39th Caballeros Investiture Dinner on the 13th June at London’s Landmark Hotel in the presence of His Excellency José Pascual Marco, the Ambassador of Spain.
The members were elected by their peers for their dedication to promoting Spanish wines. They are consultant winemaker and Spain’s first female Master of Wine, Almudena Alberca MW (above left); wine journalist and owner of leading Spanish wine website spanishwinelover.com, Amaya Cervera (centre); and owner of Cambridge Wine Merchants, Hal Wilson.
Almudena Alberca MW
Almudena Alberca MW is the first and, to date, the only Spanish woman to achieve the title of Master of Wine. An agricultural engineering graduate, she gained a further degree in oenology and a Master’s in viticulture before carrying out her first harvest in New Zealand. Almudena then moved back to her native Castilla y León to work at boutique wineries in Toro and Ribera del Duero. She was also the Spanish specialist for importer AvivaVino in New York, selecting and blending wines for this market. More recently, Almudena spent nine years at Entrecanales Domecq e Hijos as Technical Director, as well as being a member of the Board of Directors. As such, she managed 400 Ha of vineyards and five wineries across Northern Spain. Today, she works as a winemaking consultant, as well as Brand Ambassador for the fine wine investment firm Oeno. She also educates and writes about wine for a number of specialist wine titles and judges at international wine competitions, including the Decanter World Wine Awards.
Amaya Cervera
Originally from the Basque Country but now based in Madrid, Amaya Cervera is currently one of the most important voices in Spanish wine. With a degree in journalism, she has been tasting and writing about wine for almost 30 years, starting out at the Guía Peñín, Spain’s leading wine guide. In 2014, she founded http://www.spanishwinelover.com, the bilingual Spanish-English website which has won the International Wine Challenge Spain Merchant award for the best online communication platform for four years running. She is also the regular wine correspondent for one of Spain’s largest national newspapers, El País Semanal, as well as writing for a number of specialist wine publications. In addition, she judges for national and international competitions including the Decanter World Wine Awards. In 2023, Amaya was awarded Spain’s Royal Academy of Gastronomy’s prestigious prize for the best food and drink writing.
Hal Wilson
Hal Wilson started Cambridge Wine Merchants with a friend in 1993 at the age of 25. Although it opened in the recession, Hal built a well-known brand through his passion for finding the best wines and delivering excellent service. Particularly fond of Spain’s fortified wines, educating customers is important to Hal and a key part of his business. He’s also an outspoken lobbyist for issues that concern UK-based SME wine companies, including barriers to trade. Cambridge Wine Merchants is currently the UK’s most awarded independent wine merchant and its accolades over the last decade include being named No.1 Independent Wine Merchant in the Best of Spain Awards.
In welcoming the guests, Chairman of the Gran Orden Sarah Jane Evans MW, highlighted that Spain had enjoyed another great year: in gastronomy (3 of the top 4 in the World’s 50 Best); in tennis (Carlos Alvaraz) and in football (Mikel Arteta, Arsenal’s manager), and celebrated the 39th anniversary of Spain’s accession to the EEC. She noted the number of Spanish wine tastings and events that were taking place this week, including International Wineries for Climate Action where Spain plays a leading role.
Addressing the members in his speech at the event, Acting Chancellor for Gran Orden Pablo Conde added, “Without talented professionals championing Spanish produce, the industry couldn’t overcome the challenges it faces.
“By recognising professionals like yourselves for your role in the education, advancement and business of quality Spanish wines in the UK, we can play a fundamental part in the future of the industry.”